[Paper Review] What Is the Trending Lip Rejuran, "Lipjuran"?

Hello, this is Dr. Hyunwoo Jo from Lip Plastic Surgery.

Today, I’m going to talk about something other than contour surgery.

At some point, my lips became dry and chapped, and even though I kept applying lip balm, it didn’t help. So I searched on ChatGPT and found that there is a procedure called “Lipjuran.”

It seems that doctors gave the name “Lipjuran” to the injection of Rejuran into the lips.

I wondered whether it really works, so I looked for a paper. A paper on Rejuran injected into the lips came out last year, and today I’ll review that paper.

This paper was written by Dr. Nak-kyung Noh of Leaders Dermatology in Korea and was published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.

Dr. Noh has written many papers, and since I also have a connection with him, this paper felt trustworthy to me as well.

The authors explain why the lips dry out so easily:

The lips are structurally different from the skin on the face. They say the stratum corneum is very thin, there are no sweat glands or sebaceous glands, and the ability to retain moisture is markedly poor. As a result, they are vulnerable to external environments such as cold weather, ultraviolet rays, mask friction, and frequent contact with saliva, and as we age, fine wrinkles and roughness tend to appear more easily.

The problem is that this condition has limits when treated with lip balm alone.

That is because surface hydration is only temporary, and it is difficult to change the moisture environment of the lip tissue itself.

Summary of the Study Design

• Subjects: 30 adults with dry, cracked lips

• Method: Prospective, multicenter study

• Treatment: PN injections into the vermilion of the lips, 3 sessions at 3-week intervals

• Evaluation time points: Before treatment, and at 3, 6, and 9 weeks

The important point here is that they used quantitative indicators rather than a simple satisfaction survey or case report.

How Was the Effect Evaluated?

The researchers evaluated the lip condition using the following three measures:

1. WSRS (Wrinkle Severity Rating Scale)

Evaluates the depth and number of lip wrinkles

1 point (minimal) ~ 5 points (very severe)

2. LRGS (Lip Roughness Grading Scale)

Evaluates lip roughness, flaking, and the degree of fissuring

0 points (normal) ~ 8 points (severe fissuring)

3. GAIS (Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale)

Overall self-perceived improvement

This structure reflects both physician assessment and the patient’s subjective experience.

The results are shown in the table below.

What Were the Results?

• Lip wrinkles (WSRS)

At 9 weeks, 100% of patients showed an improvement of 1 point or more

Based on the median, wrinkle scores decreased by up to 2 levels

• Lip roughness (LRGS)

At 9 weeks, 89% showed an improvement of 1 point or more

Improvement in roughness took a little more time than improvement in wrinkles

• Patient satisfaction (GAIS)

100% were rated as “improved” or better

These results are meaningful not simply because the lips felt more moisturized, but because lip wrinkles and texture actually improved.

Was It Safe?

The most common reactions were swelling in 100% of patients, pain in 89%, and erythema in 78%.

However, the important point is that the paper says most of these were mild, temporary, and resolved naturally within a few hours, and no serious complications were reported.

As also mentioned in the paper, PN has very high water-binding capacity, so temporary swelling is a somewhat predictable reaction.

Difference From Existing Hyaluronic Acid (HA) Lip Procedures

Many people ask, “So how is this different from lip fillers?”

The authors say the key difference is the purpose:

• HA filler: Focused on volume and contour

• PN (Rejuran): Focused on improving the tissue environment, moisture, texture, and elasticity

In this paper as well, PN is evaluated as having the advantage of restoring lip condition without increasing volume.

The limitations of this paper are clear, as they are with any study, no matter how good it is.

It included only Korean participants, had no control group (such as lip balm), and lacked long-term follow-up data. Even so, the authors say it has strong clinical significance because it is the first PN study to directly address whether dry lips can be improved through a procedure.

Then, Who Is Lip Rejuran Suitable For?

✔ Cases where repeated use of lip balm does not lead to improvement

✔ Lips with fine wrinkles, flaking, and roughness

✔ Cases where volume increase is not desired

✔ Those who want a natural restoration of lip condition

For these people, it can be one option.

The lips are small, but they have a big impact on facial impression and daily satisfaction.

I think this paper is the first step in showing that “Lip Rejuran” is not just a trend, but can be a treatment option backed by evidence.

However, as with any procedure, it is most important to set the indications and expectations correctly.

I hope today’s column was helpful.

Thank you.